On Saturday 29 October, Bootham Ladies’ Futsal Club – York played their second game of the new FA Futsal Women’s Super Series North Tier 2 against Project Futsal Liverpool Women at St Peters School.

With key players missing, Coach Chris had to shuffle his squad, and gave debuts to Chelsea Baker and Rebecca Hugill, with Ellie Whittaker returned to take the captains armband.

Starting Line-Up: Ellie Whittaker (c), Katie Samson, Kimberly Samson, Denva Coupland, Eleanor Walker.

Substitutes: Rebecca Hugill, Scarlett Brown, Elena Rago, Charli Goodfellow, Chelsea Baker, Lucy Hudson 

Click here to see pictures from the game

Liverpool raced into a 5 goal lead before Scarlet grabbed her first goal in Bootham colours. Coach Chris called an immediate time out and Bootham did respond with a much better 5 minutes, but by half time Liverpool were cursing, and the game was gone.

Half Time – Bootham Ladies’ Futsal Club – 1 Project Futsal Liverpool Women – 11

Click here to watch the first half

At half time coach Chris demand more passion and fight from his players and they responded with a much better first period to the half. Bootham conceded quick goals and Liverpool were happy to just keep possession and frustrate the home side, catching them far too often with quick counter attacks. Denva had the last word when she smashed in a consolation goal with the last kick of the game.

Full Time – Bootham Ladies’ Futsal Club – 2 Project Futsal Liverpool Women – 19

Player Of The Match – Lucy Hudson – She was one of the players that really did step up both physically and technically on the day. She defended brilliantly and got in to some fantastic forward positions, the ball just didn’t fall for her. Overall, this was Lucys best game in a Bootham shirt and she has now set a very high standard that the coaches are looking for her to replicate each game, top game Lucy!

Click here to watch most of the second half – the camera battery died before then end!

In conversation after the game Coach Chris Collins said, ‘On the day I was very frustrated by the scoreline, I had hoped this season to avoid results like this. Let’s take nothing away from Liverpool, they are a very good futsal side, and played some brilliant stuff. Personally I think they will win the league this season, I can’t see anyone being as good as them.

I watched the game back and we were not as bad as I had originally thought. We created more chances than I remembered, it was we didn’t take them and Liverpool were very clinical in front of goal. Players will know in themselves if they gave 100% and having talked to some of them we agree that they didn’t have the best of games. The start to the 2nd half was the intensity and desire that this league demands, so it is frustrating that we didn’t start like that.

Talking to the referees and Liverpool coaches after the game they all said we had too many footballing players in the team – the demands both physically and tactically are very different to futsal, and this is something they have to understand and adapt to quickly.

One real positive was the amazing support the ladies received, we had nearly 50 people come and watch our second home game. The way they cheered and applauded our two goals would make a neutral think we had won the game! I just have to apologise to them all for the performance on the day, it is not what we are about.

He finished by saying, ‘Our next 3 games are all on the road and against very hard opposition, so I will be asking the squad to improve in each of these. All that said, we learn from the game, we move forward, and we go again against Sunderland on the 12 November.’

#BoothamSole